Portable and manually operable apparatus for the cleaning and/or finishing of carpeted or uncarpeted floors



Dec. 23; 1952 c. MENDELSON 2,622,254 PORTABLE AND MANUALLY OPERABLE APPARATUS FOR THE CLEANING AND/OR FINISHING OF CARPETED OR UNCARPETED FLOORS Filed Nov. 18, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 23, 1952 c, MENDELSQN 2,622,254

PORTABLE AND MANUALLY OPERABLE APPARATUS FOR THE CLEANING AND/OR FINISHING OF CARPETED OR UNCARPETED FLOORS Filed Nov. 18, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CH/ML 5 Mwoaso/v A T TORWEX Dec. 23, 1952 c. MENDELSON 2,622,254

PORTABLE AND MANUALLY OPERABLE APPARATUS FOR THE CLEANING AND/OR FINISHING OF CARPETED OR UNCARPETED FLOORS Filed Nov. 18, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 2% 2f INVENTOR. 611 4 R1. 55 MENDEL so/v Patented Dec. 23, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE AND MANUALLY OPERABLE AP- PARATUS FOR THE CLEANING AND/OR FINISHING OF CARPETED R PETED FLOORS UNCAR- 1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to surface processing apparatus of a portable nature adapted for manual operation, more especially such as is suited to the cleaning and/or finishing of floors both carpeted and unoarpeted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a common driving means for effecting the various processing operations, with provision for selective control of each individual processing member whereby any desired number or only a single one of these members may be retained in operative position.

Still another object of the invention is to eifect such control without disturbing the common drive mechanism for the various processing members.

A further object of the invention is to provide selection mechanism which will require no tool for its adjustment or operation, the same being readily performed manually.

In carrying out the invention, provision is made to mount upon the underside of a platform supported on a suitable manuallyor mechanically-movable carriage a succession of rotatable members designed to effect the varying processing operations, these members being rotatably supported transversely to the direction of travel of the carriage over the surface. A motor supported by the carriage, and under control ofan operator of the apparatus, serves to provide power for operating the individual rotatable members as well as a suction pump and a vacuum pump, the former being designed to remove through a further member, namely a squeegee, liquid dis tributed to one or more of the other members.

The vacuum pump may be adapted for general vacuum cleaning purposes through a hose connection thereto and/or to collect dust and other light matter stirred up by one of the rotatable members such as a brushing roll, a vacuum nozzle or head being then located in advance of the said roll and is connected to a bag or like receptacle carried, for example, on a handle for manipulatingthe carriage.

In the event that the action of any one or more of the processing members should not be desired, provision has been made through means readily accessible to the operator of the apparatus to displace temporarily such member or members to an extent to prevent contact of the same with the surface being processed; and the action of the dust collecting mechanism may be mechanically or electrically controlled.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the novel apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of one side of the apparatus and Fig. 3 an elevation of the opposite side of said apparatus.

Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sections taken respectively on the lines 4-4, 5--5, Fig. 2 of the drawings, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary rear elevation view.

Referring to the drawings, l0 designates a platform or carriage supported for movement manually or, preferably, under motor propulsion, in which case there is provided a forward caster II and a pair of rear driving Wheels I2. The platform has pivotally secured along its opposite sides a bail to which is attached a handle member I3 for manipulating the apparatus over a surface to be processed such as a carpet, rug, or uncovered floor or linoleum covered floor. The upper face of this platform supports an electric driving motor M for the actuation of the various cleaner members, a water or, suction pump l5, and a vacuum pump it, together with suitable transmission mechanism, as will hereinafter be more fully set forth. There is also supported on said surface a plurality of manuallyoperable levers l1, l8, I9 and 20 for positioning a plurality of processing members 2 I, 22, and 23, as well as for positioning a squeegee member 24 which may be provided, if desired. Energization of the motor for the various operations is controlled by a suitable switch member 25 located on the handle member I3 conveniently to an operator of the apparatus.

Beneath the platform are located transversely to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus the plurality of processing members such as a succession, from front to rear, of rolls, for examplethe sweeping roll 2|, the scrubbing roll 22, and the polishing roll 23, the squeegee member 24 being included beyond the scrubbing roll, that is to say, between said roll and the polishing roll 23, said squeegee member being likewise located transversely of the longitudinal axis of th apparatus. A dust collector nozzle 26 or the like may also be provided, if desired, in advance of the sweeping brush or roll 2| to collect dust stirred up by said roll when passing over a surface, said nozzle to this end having connection with the vacuum pump l6 as through the three-Way valve 21. This valve may be operated to connect the said pump it either to nozzle 26 or to a suction inlet 23 in accordance with the operation of said valve, the inlet affording a means for connecting a suction hose or the like (not shown) for vacuum operation beyond the apparatus. Vacuum pump IE; is connected to a collecting bag 29 supported on handle 13.

All of the aforesaid roll members and the squeegee are carried by the platform is in a manner such that they may be individually displaced vertically relatively thereto, thereby rendering each respectively active or ineffective in accordance with their location relative to said platform. To this end, each rotatable processing member except the squeegee member is rotatably supported in a corresponding vertically reciprocable bracket, in the case of the rolls 2!, 22 and 23 by the brackets 3|, 32 and t3, and in the case of the squeegee member 2% by the bracket 34. In the case of all these brackets, end arms thereof extend upwardly through respective pairs of guide openings 3!, 32', 33 and of the platform along opposite sides thereof.

The respective outer ends of these arms, except in the case of the arm of the squeegee mem ber passing through opening are carried by corresponding rock shafts 31% and 8?. On each of these shafts is fixed a cam element, or, preferably, pairs of cam elements 35', and 3f which contact the upper surface of the platform under the action of the weight of said roll members and compression springs inserted between the brackets and undersurface of platform iii. By rocking a selected one of said shafts, thevarying contact surface of the cam thereon will elevate or cause to be depressed the corresponding roll member with respect to the platform ii! to disengage it respectively from a surface over which the apparatus is caused to travel or to cause it to engage such surface. In the case of the squeegee, the upper ends of the arms of its carrying bracket 34 are provided with rack teeth designed to engage respectively with corresponding teeth of a pair of pinions a rock shaft 4!.

Rocking of any selected one of the rock shafts is effected conveniently from the rear of the platform by the corresponding levers El, l8, l8 and 29 by appropriately moving the corresponding lever. These levers are each connected by respective links ll, l8, l9 and 29 to the rock shafts 35, 36, 31 and 4|, or rather to respective arms 22, 43, linkage it and an arm .5 thereof. When the shaft 4! is rocked, the engagement between the racks and pinions will through rotation of the latter reciprocate the former, and with them the squeegee to secure the desired pressure of the latter upon the surface over which the apparatus travels, and thus accommodating the squeegee to various thickness of floor coverings.

Rotation for operating rolls 2!, 22 and 23 is derived from a sprocket 58 on the drive shaft of motor Hi through a sprocket chain 52 inclined to the platform and running over a sprocket wheel 53, the latter in turn rotating a sprocket 55 for driving a horizontally disposed further chain 55. This further chain through a sprocket 55 on shaft 5'5 carrying one of a pair of bevel gear wheels 52-.- transmits through said gear wheels the rotation to a shaft 59 on which is mounted for rotation with said shaft 59 a sprocket 6t and a sprocket 6!. The latter sprocket through a horizontally disposed endless chain 62 passing over an idler sprocket 63, serves to drive the forward brush 2| and the succeeding brush 22, the said chain to this end passing beyond idler sprocket 63 vertically downwardly through the platform IE! and over the underside of a driving sprocket 64 on the shaft of brush 2|, then over the upper side of driving sprocket 6'5 on the shaft of the brush 22, and finally over an idler sprocket 65 back to the sprocket El.

The other sprocket Be on shaft 59 drives through a horizontallydisposed chain 61 a further sprocket 63 on shaft 69 having also a sprocket Ill for driving a vertically disposed endless chain H which rotates a sprocket !2 on the shaft of roll 23 and thereby said roll.

In the use of these sprocket chains and their arrangement with respect to the idler sprockets and roll and brush sprockets, to communicate the rotation from the motor to the various brushes and roll, the rotation of the different members will be in the desired direction and the brushes and roll may themselves partake of the required, but limited, reoiprocations without disturbing the driving action thereon.

In the case of the brush 22 which is to be used as a scrubbing roll, provision is made to deliver cleansing liquid thereto as from a tank 15 through the connection "it therefrom and valve to distributing pipes if at the roll. When the squeegee member 24 is to be utilized for mopping up the spent cleansing liquid, said member is connected through a pipe 73 with the suction pump :5 connected with motor shaft 5|, the said pump having a connection through pipe 19 to a collecting receptacle Bil for spent liquid also carried by the handle it.

Liquid for waxing and/or polishing purposes is obtained from a tank 85, also carried by the handle it, through a supply pipe 82 discharging above the roll 23, a control valve 83 being provided in said pipe for regulating the supply of material.

A removable casing 85, Fig. 1, may, if desired, be provided over the platform to house the different mechanisms.

I claim:

In apparatus of the nature set forth and including a movable carriage with handle pivoted thereto for manipulating the carriage: the combination with an elongated platform of said movable carriage; of a succession of members disposed normally in a common plane transversely to the longitudinal axis of the carriage along the underside of the platform and including a plurality of rotatable brushes, and pairs of reciprocable bracket supports carrying the respective members having portions extending upwardly through the platform and rock shafts connecting the extending portions of the respective brackets, together with cam elements fixed on the rock shafts of the corresponding rotatable brushes and adapted for engagement with the upper surface of the platform to displace a corresponding brush vertically; a motor supported by the platform and intermediate mechanism to transmit rotation from said motor to the respective rotatable brushes to rotate all simultaneously; and manually retractable elements carried by the platform and accessible to the operator of the apparatus and connected with the respective rock shafts to rock the latter for 5 selective actuation thereof to displace vertically Number the corresponding brackets with respect to the 1,554,875 platform. 1,670,934 CHARLES MENDELSON. 1,673,529 5 1,687,283 REFERENCES CITED 2,248,699 The following references are of record in the ,31 3 file of this patent: 2,333,829

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 10 Number 1,176,990 Scherff Mar. 28, 1916 1,567 1,455,746 Faustini May 15, 1923 722,755 1,546,531 Anderson July 21, 1925 Name Date Miles Sept. 22, 1925 Keefer May 22, 1928 Ponselle June 12, 1928 Deutscher Oct. 9, 1928 Finnell July 8, 1941 Backlund Apr. 27, 1943 Terry Nov. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain of 1908 France Jan. 5, 1932 

